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View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/international/2008/12/08/96101.htm
'Made in China' Label Battered by Product Contamination Scandals
Milk, toothpaste, cough syrup, pet food, eels, blood thinner, car parts, pork, eggs, honey, chicken, dumplings, cooking oil and rice — if you can fake it or taint it, you can almost guarantee it's happened in China.
A string of product safety scandals, including contaminated infant formula that is believed to have killed six babies and sickened thousands of others, have rocked the faith of shoppers, making them wary of buying products made in China despite the often cheaper price tag.
"I was physically disgusted when I saw it on the TV," said Sally Villegas, a mother of two in Australia, referring to the melamine-tainted infant formula scandal that came to light in September. "If I'm shopping and I pick up a product made in China, yes I would put it back."
The melamine scandal was the latest in a string of recent high-profile safety problems, which have included lead paint on toy cars and contaminated Chinese-made blood thinner heparin that was blamed for fatalities in the United States and Germany and prompted a global recall early this year.
After each scandal, Beijing seemed to have the same response: launching a crackdown, destroying tainted goods on television, jailing a few officials and saying they "pay great attention" to the problem.
Trouble is, for all the government's efforts and exhortations, the scandals keep happening, and will likely keep on happening, due to lax rule enforcement, fragmented industries, widespread poverty and the sheer size of China, analysts say.
"I'm sure that there will be more. It's a near certainty. Not only in the fields that we've seen already, but in other ones," said Duncan Innes-Ker, a China analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing.
"China faces a lot of problems because it is developing into a big but very poor economy, and obviously you can't have Western-style safety mechanisms in an economy where half the population doesn't earn much more than a couple of dollars a day," he added.
CHINESE PRODUCTS SHUNNED
Jin Biao, vice president of Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group, one of China's largest dairy producers, admitted the melamine problem had dented the country's already badly tattered reputation overseas.
"The contamination was our management problem. We must first resolve it without trying to pass the blame on to the farmers, or to society, or the country," he told Reuters.
Yili was named as one of 22 companies found to have produced drinking milk contaminated with melamine, though after thorough inspections China now insists the problem has been effectively removed from the dairy industry.
Melamine, a chemical used to make plastics, was added to infant formula to cheat quality control tests on protein levels. The scandal led to bans around the world on food containing Chinese dairy products.
The United States last month issued an import alert for Chinese-made food products, calling for foods to be stopped at the border unless importers can certify that they are either free of dairy goods or free of melamine.
"I think it's evident to the Chinese that when there's a quality problem, it does more than just hurt that industry segment," U.S. Health Secretary Mike Leavitt said on a recent visit to Shanghai. "It damages the entire made-in-China brand."
The U.S. move prompted an angry reaction from China, which called it "unilateral" and expressed "deep regret".
But consumers are already voting with their wallets.
Following the melamine problem, Taiwan supermarkets for example reported soaring sales from goods clearly marked as being "made in Taiwan", stressing that they did not come from across the strait and were therefore trustworthy and top notch.
It is not a simple matter just to boycott all Chinese goods, said Matthew Crabbe, managing director of research firm Access Asia. "I don't think really people understand how much is actually made in China," he said. Moving production to some other low-cost country would also not solve the problem, he added. "They'd just have the same problems over again. They'd go to Bangladesh or somewhere, and then they'd have exactly the same problems yet again. It's the quality control."
The challenges posed by China's poverty are exacerbated by corruption and the autonomy carved out by local governments, many of them hundreds of kilometres from officials in Beijing trying to rehabilitate the country's reputation.
A culture of covering-up bad news, or delaying reporting problems to higher-ups, only adds to the challenge.
The city government of Shijiazhuang, home to the Sanlu company that was at the center of the melamine scandal, initially failed to report the problem, fearing perhaps it could have wrecked the happy image being portrayed for the Beijing Olympics.
This attitude is changing though, observers said.
Anthony Hazzard, the World Health Organization's Manila-based regional adviser on food safety, said he was heartened by the way China had begun sharing information following the melamine scandal.
"That there is an openness and sharing of information will strengthen confidence," he told reporters in Beijing. "Of course, confidence at the moment is battered. But the only way to rebuild confidence is to put in place an effective food control system from the farm to the table, and we hope that they do that."
Still, it is probably only a matter of time before the next scandal unfolds in a country where even drugs are fair game for the unscrupulous seeking to make a fast buck.
"Next would probably be the fake pharmaceuticals industry, the herbal pills sector," said Access Asia's Crabbe. "God knows what goes into those things, and what regulation there is, if any, of that industry."
(Additional reporting by Emma Graham-Harrison in Beijing, Rujun Shen in Shanghai and Pauline Askin in Sydney; Editing by Megan Goldin)
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In Search of Bigfoot at Rock n Roll Monster Bash 2012 and the DEAR GOD! NO! DVD Release Party!
Posted on: Jun 2nd, 2012 By: Anya99
We can't say where you'll find a Sasquatch in the actual woods, but we're damned sure that you can spot BIGFOOT, one of Atlanta's most badass and hard-edged rock bands, twice in the next few days right here. First they'll be grinding their guitars at Sunday June 3 at the 10th annual Rock n Roll Monster Bash 2012 at the Starlight Drive-In (gates open at 10 a.m.). Then Tuesday June 5, BIGFOOT headlines the DVD release party for DEAR GOD NO!, the home-grown grindhouse film that's been turning heads and stomaches all across the nation and stars BIGFOOT front-man Jett Bryant.
In case you're living under a rock and haven't heard about the Rock n Roll Monster Bash. It's an all-day, all-night horror festival featuring Dames, Bands, Ghouls, Food, Creeps, Hot Rods, Hearses, Flicks, Freaks, Vendors Werewolf Style Parking Lot Partying and Monstrosity Championship Wrestling hosted by the Silver Scream Spookshow's Professor Morte. Other bands playing include X-Impossibles and one of them now rare but always unforgettable performances by Atlanta punk legends Dead Elvis, including ATLRetro logo artist Derek Yaniger. And damn you, dirty ape, but after dusk, lucky attendees get to see 35mm prints of the incomparable, original PLANET OF THE APES (1968) and zombie comedy RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985), on the big Drive-In screen! If you haven't already read Gene Kannenberg's awesome remembrance of growing up with the Apes and making ape masks with paper and crayons, check it out here.
When DEAR GOD NO! launched its world premiere at the Plaza Theatre last fall, the Star Bar must've been empty. Indeed, the number is legion when it comes to talented folks from Atlanta's alt-garage, Redneck underground and horror scenes who worked on the movie. Familiar faces in the cast and crew including Shane Morton (Silver Scream Spookshow, Gargantua, Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse), Nik Morgan (Splatter Cinema), Billy Ratliff (Truckadelic), Madeline Brumby (check out our Kool Kat on Madeline here), Jas. M. Stacy (Starlight Drive-In, Palookaville, Get Delicious!, AM Gold) and many more. Since then, Director Jimmy Bickert's "unapologetic homage to classic grindhouse cinema" (DailyGrindhouse.com) has taken the festival circuit by storm and hauling in reverent reviews from lovers of exploitation films. The Big World Pictures release will finally be available on DVD on Tues. June 5, with a ton of bonus features, and to celebrate, the public is invited to the FREE party and screening that night at The Masquerade (doors at 8 p.m.).
Shot in 16mm with '70s period-authentic effects, DEAR GOD NO! follows outlaw motorcycle gang The Impalers, led by Jett Bryant (yup, that's his character's name, too), on a tri-state rape and murder spree which culminates in a bloody massacre with rival club Satan's Own in a dive bar (actually Tucker Saloon) with the added bonus of topless strippers in Richard Nixon masks with machine guns. Still keen to continue their rampage, the survivors invade a mountain cabin occupied by a scientist and his geeky/sexy daughter. And that's when the depravity really begins as the bikers realize the scientist is mad, his wife is madder, and the monster that lurks in the wilderness outside is maddest of all.
So it just seemed kinda natural (or should we say, supernatural?) to catch up with Jett, who also plays in AM Gold and has played Jesus on stage in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, for a down and dirty little talk about Bigfoot and why hard rockers, drinkers and monster movie lovers alike need to get out of the house both Sunday and Tuesday! Dear God! Yes! That's why we're proud to say that we live in the city with America's finest Retro horror scene!
First off, let's talk BIGFOOT. How did the band get started and what's your sound like for the uninitiated?
BIGFOOT was started by Jimmy Hall and Evil Jim Wright, two of the most badass guitarists you can imagine. Together with Micheal Faulkner (bass), Kevin Watford (drums) and myself, you get the rowdy and raunchy BIGFOOT—a very loud and heavy southern rock with high energy.
Do you have any special plans for your gig at Rock n Roll Monsterbash 2012?
My biggest plan is not to be too drunk when I get onstage.
What's your favorite part of this year's Monster Bash, other than BIGFOOT, of course?
I'm looking forward to seeing PLANET OF THE APES and RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD on the big screen. I love me a zombie movie. I like the goofy punk rock situation in the graveyard, and Linnea Quigley gettg all naked and eaten by zombies is pretty cool, too. It's always been a favorite movie of mine. And apes taking over the world, what's not to love about that?! It's always a pleasure to see a movie at the drive-in. That's the best way to see a movie as far as I am concerned. You can bring your own beer. I love it.
How do you feel about all the positive buzz DEAR GOD! NO! has been getting on the festival circuit?
I'm excited about it. I think it's great. I always wanted to be famous or infamous. However, the f–k you look at it. Jimmy did a really great job with that movie. I wasn't surprised that it was such a big hit just because I've known Jimmy Bickert forever and he put all his attention into it. I haven't seen him do that in years. It's about time.
Is it just coincidental that you're in a band called BIGFOOT and a Bigfoot is the monster in DEAR GOD! NO!?
It's total coincidence that the band is called BIGFOOT and the movie contains a raging sasquatch.The band name came about while we were tossing ideas back and forth and our buddy Ted got impatient waiting for us to figure it out because he needed to make a flyer. So he just dubbed us BIGFOOT
Did you ever feel like the movie was going too far in pushing the limits with the sex, violence, gore and general disgustingness? What do you say to people who are offended?
DEAR GOD NO! is a pretty brutal film, but it's all in good fun. However, I will not let my mama see this picture
Your character in DEAR GOD! NO! bears your name. What's the difference between you and him, and are you ever uncomfortable with that—given the crazy, sick things he does in the movie?
As far as playing the character Jett in DEAR GOD! NO! I really just played myself, took out all the good parts and replaced it with the DNA of a honey badger.
I can just imagine how much fun you had recording the commentary track for the DVD with Madelaine Brumby and Shane Morton. Can you talk a little about how you guys approached that and maybe share one favorite behind-the-scenes story?
We all just sat around with microphones and watched the picture. They got wine-drunk and I got beer-drunk. Shane and I have been friends for a long time so it wasn't even like work. It was just like hanging out with my buddy. As for a story, [shooting the film] was all pretty long days, but John Collins (Collins in DEAR GOD! NO!) was always making it pretty loose and funny. He made a habit of sending us pictures of his turds when taking a shit. It is not on the commentary track, but it is on blooper reel, a little Easter egg they have in there.
You die in DEAR GOD! NO! but everyone knows that never stopped a character from coming back in a sequel. Will we see Jett Bryant again in the sequel, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED BIKERS, or can you tell us?
My character will return in the sequel, probably more pissed off considering he's been woke from the dead.
Anything you want to add about Bigfoot's performance at the DVD release party next Tuesday?
We're excited about it, but it's just going to be another badass BIGFOOT show, you know!
What about what you're up to with AM Gold, any other acting plans and what's next for BIGFOOT?
BIGFOOT's going to keep stomping like they do, we're going to keep make movies, and AM Gold's going to keep playing festivals!
Category: Features | Tags: 16mm, AM Gold, Atlanta, big world pictures, Bigfoot, billy ratliff, dailygrindhouse.com, Dead Elvis, Dear God No, Derek Yaniger, DerekArt, Evil Jim Wright, exploitation, Frankenstein Created Bikers, grindhouse, honey badger, Impalers, jas stacy, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jet Terror, Jett Bryant, Jimmy Bickert, Jimmy Hall, John Collins, Kevin Watford, linnea quigley, Madeline Brumby, Masquerade, Michael Faulkner, Monstrosity Championship Wrestling, nik morgan, Planet of the Apes, Plaza Theatre, Prof. Morte, Professor Morte, Return of the Living Dead, Richard Nixon mask, Rock n Roll Monster Bash, Satan's Own, Shane Morton, Silver Scream Spookshow, Star Bar, Starlight Drive-In, Starlight Six, Tucker Saloon, X-Impossibles
PLANET OF THE APES-piration: Or Why You're a Damn Dirty Idiot If You Don't Make It to Rock N Roll Monster Bash 2012 at the Starlight Drive-In
Posted on: Jun 1st, 2012 By: Anya99
by Gene Kannenberg, Jr.
Guest Contributing Writer
PLANET OF THE APES (1968); Dir: Franklin J. Schaffner; Writer: Michael Wilson and Rod Serling; Starring Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans; 10th annual Rock N Roll Monster Bash 2012, Starlight Drive-In, Sun. June 3; gates at 10 a.m. and movies at dusk; trailer here; an all-day, all-night horror festival featuring Monstrosity Championship Wrestling hosted by the Silver Scream Spookshow's Professor Morte. Bands include X-Impossibles, Bigfoot, Dead Elvisand more. Also playing: RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985)
I can barely remember a time when I did not know about PLANET OF THE APES (1968).
Watching the PLANET OF THE APES movies was a ritual for me when I was a boy in the early-to-mid 1970s. WVTV Channel 18, Milwaukee's independent TV station, used to run POTA marathons at least once a year, it seemed; every Friday for five weeks in a row we'd get another installment, and I was always riveted to the screen, beginning, of course, with the original film directed by Franklin Schaffner and originally released in 1968.
After all, the idea of astronauts from Earth discovering a world ruled by talking animals is tailor-made for a child who has outgrown (for the time being) fairy tales but is fascinated by (1) the space program (we were still going the moon back then) and (2) dinosaurs and other monsters. The action was intense, the apes looked wonderful (some noble, others menacing), and the ideas were mind-expanding, thanks in no small part to script work by Rod Serling of THE TWILIGHT ZONE fame.
Was there ever a more effective introduction of menace into a film than the attack by the gorillas in the cornfield? The mute fear of the humans; the shots of the whips above the corn; Jerry Goldsmith's harsh, urgent soundtrack; and the ultimate reveal of the gorillas on horseback, with the zoom-in on a gorilla's face? It was breathtaking at the time, and it's still a powerful moment today.
The famous Statue of Liberty scene in PLANET OF THE APES (20th Century Fox, 1968).
I wish I could tell you how shocked and stunned I was the first time that I, along with Taylor (Charlton Heston), discovered the half-buried Statue of Liberty and realized that the Planet of the Apes was, in fictional-fact, our own planet Earth. I wish I could, but I can't; because I can't remember ever not knowing this fact. I'm sure I was awestruck the first time around—how could a child not have been, after witnessing such a brutal, unfamiliar world? All I can remember is enjoying the ride each and every time I watched the movie—any of the movies, even the less-than-stellar BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (1973). (And that Statue of Liberty moment has, rightly, become one of the most famous in movie history – in fact, it was even included in a film better-known as being an adaptation of HAMLET )
Taylor (Charlton Heston), Zira (Kim Hunter) and the body of dead astronaut Stewart (Diane Stanley). PLANET OF THE APES (20th Century Fox, 1968)
I must admit that, to my young mind, one of the most mysterious and terrifying parts of the the movie came early on with the death of Stewart (an uncredited Diane Stanley), the female astronaut who doesn't survive suspended animation. When Taylor discovers her corpse, it all happens so fast that I was never sure what was going on. In hindsight, it's clear that her cryogenic capsule failed, and that her body mummified during the other astronauts' long sleep. But when I was a child, I couldn't understand why she looked the way she did. We only see her corpse for a second, so that added to the mystery. For the longest time, I thought that perhaps she had somehow been turned into an ape as some sort of warning. Now, I realize that doesn't make any sense; but when you're eight years old, sense is a precious, elusive quantity. Seeing her corpse as a warning of what was to come made perfect, terrible sense to me back then.
Watching these movies on TV also gave me my first taste of behind-the-scenes promotional films. Sometimes Channel 18 would pad out the movies to three hours, but even with commercials there would still be time left over before the 10 o'clock news. So they occasionally filled the extra minutes with "making-of" documentaries about either the POTA films or the short-lived live-action PLANET OF THE APES television series (1974). Here was my first glimpse into "movie magic," and in particular, the fascinating world of prosthetic makeups. Nerdy kid that I was, I found myself amazed at the skill and ingenuity that makeup creator John Chambers and his crew demonstrated in slowly, slowly building up appliances onto the actors' faces, transforming them into incredibly believable simians.
Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius in PLANET OF THE APES (20th Century Fox, 1968)
I was so taken with the makeup process that I decided to try it myself. However, being eight years old (or so) and without access to latex and yak fur, I made do with what I had available: paper, crayons, scissors, and tape. Building upon what I'd seen in the documentaries, I made articulate ape masks for my younger brother John and myself. (I got to be a chimpanzee, natch; my brother became an orangutan. And when a cousin would visit, he or she'd have to settle with being a gorilla.)
First I'd create a somewhat triangular piece that surrounded the eyes and came down to create a nose. That was the easy part. The hard part was the mouth. I wanted it to look like the muzzles the apes had in the movies: That meant a mouth in two pieces, top and bottom, each a sort of quarter-sphere. I'd color a piece of paper "ape flesh" color (depending upon the type of ape) and then cut notches along the edges so that I could mold it into the proper hollow shape, securing the seams with tape, until they were (approximately) the right shape.
Finally came the miles of tape needed to attach the paper appliances to our faces. The only way to allow the mouths to open and close as we spoke was to affix the two pieces separately to our skin. This took a lot of tape (and made the eventual removal of the masks a little uncomfortable – but hey, this was art). Once the mouths were in place, then came the eye/nose pieces, with the descending noses laid atop the upper mouthpiece. (I remember that one time when I was feeling particularly ambitious, I added a third piece to the mouths: A piece of paper crayoned as black as I could make it, to cover our real mouths behind the muzzles; this way, when we spoke, you couldn't see our real mouths inside the masks.)
The hair was trickier, but I had a solution. We had winter hats that covered our whole heads, with just a hole cut out in the front for our faces. Perfect! The fact that my hat was blue and my brother's was green kind of spoiled the verisimilitude, but hey, that's what imagination was for. The final touch was a triangular piece of paper on each side of our faces to approximate the facial cheek-hair that crept under the eyes and wrapped around the muzzles.
Taylor (Charlton Heston) and Zira (Kim Hunter) exchange a kiss in PLANET OF THE APES (20th Century Fox,1968).
Lord, how I wish I had photos of us in these masks. I'm sure they looked mostly ridiculous, but we loved them, and we would jump around the house, howling like apes.
But anyway, the Apes movies made a huge impression on me as a child. They instilled in me a love of science fiction, a love of movies, and a healthy dose of cynicism with regards to official structures of power. They were all "of their time," that time being the late 1960s/early 1970s, and issues of discrimination were inescapable cultural touchstones, even for a young child. And the Apes films were, in their way, statements against discrimination and pleas for tolerance and understanding. (For more on this topic, see Eric Greene's book PLANET OF THE APES AS AMERICAN MYTH: RACE, POLITICS, AND POPULAR CULTURE.)
Of course, the apes movies are also a whole lot of fun. Some of it might seem a bit campy nowadays, and of course, some of the lines have become cultural touchstones in their own right ("Get your stinking paws off me, you damned, dirty ape!"). But the films, the first in particular, still represent some of the best movie-making magic there ever was. I envy you Atlantans the chance to experience it on the big drive-in screen. Now, watch like Apes!
Category: Retro Review | Tags: 2012, American Myth, ape masks, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Bigfoot, Charlton Heston, damn dirty ape, Dead Elvis, Diane Stanley, Eric Greene, Franklin Schaffner, Gene Kannenberg, Hamlet, http://atlretro.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/planetdessinghes.jpg, Jerry Goldsmith, John Chambers, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, Milwaukee, Monstrosity Championship Wrestling, Planet of the Apes, Prof. Morte, Professor Morte, prosthetics, Return of the Living Dead, Rock n Roll Monster Bash, Rod Serling, Roddy McDowall, SFX makeup, Silver Scream Spookshow, special effects make-up, Starlight Drive-In, Twilight Zone, WVTV, X-Impossibles, zombies
Kool Kat of the Week: Watch out, Shirley Jones! Spooky Partridge's Katy Graves Is a Real Mother?!
Posted on: May 9th, 2012 By: Anya99
Katy Graves and son Nick in Spooky Partridge. Photo courtesy of Katy Graves.
By James Kelly
Contributing Music Editor
With Mother's Day approaching, ATLRetro wanted to find someone special who represents both the Atlanta music scene and makes motherhood look easy. Local musician Katy Graves is one of the most energetic, friendly and interesting people in town. She has been part of the rock & roll community for many years in such bands as Doll Squad and Catfight, and while she is currently working on her teaching degree, she is also in an amazing and entertaining band called Spooky Partridge, with HER 10-YEAR-OLD SON, Nick Christian!!! Those credentials and the fact that Spooky Partridge are rocking Shorty's Pizza in Tucker this Saturday May 12 at 8 p.m. are more than sufficient for ATLRetro to make Katy Kool Kat of the Week just in time for Mother's Day!
ATLRetro: How did you initially get involved with performing music in Atlanta? What was your first band experience?
Katy: I sang in a couple bands in high school starting in about the 9th grade, and by the 11th grade, our band, The Doughboys, was playing out at the infamous Margaritaville as well as The Dugout in Emory Village. We did mostly covers by bands like The Police, Squeeze, The Jam, Ramones, Echo and the Bunnymen and loads of REM. Our guitar player loved REM! Can you imagine me singing REM covers? We had some originals, but mostly covers. I played cello and and piano as a kid. Susanne Gibboney (who plays with Tiger! Tiger!, Lust and Catfight), and I started Doll Squad while I was in college. We both worked at Junkman's Daughter at the time. We all loved The Runaways and '60s girl groups, but also L7 and the Lunachicks so we wanted to be in an all-girl band. Doll Squad opened for Shonen Knife at the Masquerade, that was so fun!
Catfight was an incredibly popular band for several years. what do you think was the source of the appeal, and what was going on in Atlanta at that time to make the scene so open to the band? How was David T. Lindsay involved?
Ann Beaman and I had been in Doll Squad for a while, and that had kind of run its course. We ran an ad for a guitar player so we could start a new band, and Jennifer Leavey answered. She was the only person who answered that wasn't nuts! Jennifer is just an incredible songwriter, and Catfight really took off. I think the reason we managed to do well was that we had songs with elements of a several kinds of genres and we could fit in on a lot of shows, appeal to a lot of people. We were a little garage, a little punk; we liked rockabilly; we did some girl group type songs; we also covered Van Halen, though!
David Lindsay put out a Doll Squad 7″, and he and I were friends. He had had a disagreement with someone in Doll Squad and wasn't keen to put out any more of our records. I didn't know if I would want to work with Catfight, but I brought a tape over of us and gave it to him. I told him I just wanted him to give me some feedback. He called me like an hour after I gave him the tape and told me he had to put out our stuff! David put out two singles and two CDs on his label, Worry Bird Records.
How did working in the music business affect your perception of playing music as a profession? Any good sleazy Green Room stories?
I remember when I got a job working for a record company, this boyfriend (a musician) said, "You are working for the enemy now!!!" I had a great run working in the music business for 15 years, but sometimes I was conflicted. It's hard when you have to sell art like it is shoes or office supplies or something. Also, I figured out quite early on that I did not care about meeting a lot of famous people, which I thought initially would be really fun. Yawn! That being said two of the nicest people I met while working at a record company were Brittany Spears and Notorious B.I.G. Seriously! There were a few who were complete jerks – if you see me out sometime I'll tell you who!! I can't think of any super sleazy stories, but I do remember we took this guy from a New York band to the Clermont Lounge after his show one night. He has irritated all of us with this superior attitude, like he had seen it all/done it all in NYC. We introduced him to Blondie, she personalized a beer can for him as she does, and he just about lost it. He was completely freaked out by the whole Clermont scene! We couldn't believe it – he was playing Mr. Badass rock guy but he got all nervous at the Clermont! Come on!
What must one do to reconcile motherhood with a rock & roll lifestyle?
Well, I began my rock' & roll mom lifestyle when Nick was in utero – I kept playing shows with Catfight until I was more than eight months pregnant! I would have played up until I went into labor, but Jennifer but the kibosh on that. Probably the girls were sick of loading all the equipment without me at that point. Anyway, you have to rock & roll at home a lot more when you are a mom, because as you might guess it becomes difficult to be out at shows until 2 a.m. on a regular basis. The child watched THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT from an early age, which is a questionable decision when you think about how The Who treat equipment, but we escaped any serious damage around the house somehow. When I still worked for a record company I brought Nick to every daytime in-store appearance by a band that I was working. One year I took him to Ozzfest. I always tried to take him to any daytime shows I could find – he went to Warped Tour a few times. And yes – we made him wear earplugs to every show, of course! Finally I ended up being in a band WITH my son so I could still play but also keep kid-friendly hours!
Spooky Partridge's Nick poses with a pair of drumsticks.
Tell us about Nick. Do you think he will become a professional musician? Or a baseball player? He seems equally great at both…
Nick turned 10 in February. He has been in Montessori school since he was 3. He plays drums and guitar; he can play bass and fools around on piano as well. He is dyslexic, which I believe is why he is so good at music and art; I think that the things in his brain that often make reading hard make music easy. He loves to draw. And yes, he does love baseball and soccer. I am the only mom in Americawho actually asks her child to please use the Wii or the Nintendo DSI, because we have these expensive games and the kid never uses them! He loves Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Who and The Cartoon Network. Nick cooks a lot – he puts red pepper flakes and/or Siracha in almost everything, however, so if you don't like spicy food, you have to watch out. At different times he has told me that when he wants to grow up he wants to be a musician, a baseball player, a soccer player or a pathologist. Yes, a pathologist! Recently he has gotten way interested in bird-watching, of all things! He can identify lots of birds, and he draws them all the time.
Where did the idea for "Spooky Partridge" come from, and what was the formation of the band like for everyone?
Nick's dad is Shawn Christian from X-Impossibles and Rock City Dropouts. Shawn and I met because we were in bands that played shows together all the time, so it was only natural that we wanted our child to be a musician. Nick was almost named Marshall – after the amp, of course! Shawn and I made sure that Santa brought Nick a drum set when he was two years old. By the time he was seven, he was getting pretty good, and since I had a friend teaching at a rock band camp, we sent Nick there that summer. That is when we could see he was really progressing, when we saw him play with a band. So we sent him again two years ago. He wanted to play "No Action" by Elvis Costello, but the kids in the band couldn't learn it fast enough to perform it, which bummed him out. There were so many songs Nick wanted to play and no one to play them with. I was like "Why am I paying for this rock band camp when we can just have rock band camp at home for free?" Those camps are crazy expensive, and we already had a practice room in our house. What was I thinking?
Shawn and I decided that we would have a family band. Shawn and I have not been a couple since Nick was two, but we get along extremely well, so the band was nothing but fun from the start. We started by learning songs that Nick wanted to do, we started writing originals. Nick has written some on guitar, and he writes words and works with his dad to write songs, like "I Hate Chores."
Spooky Partridge performs at last year's Tunes From The Tombs.
Any plans to release a Spooky Partridge record anytime?
We have three songs recorded that we are really happy with, and we need to record some more! We recorded the songs with Jimmy Demer from The Accidents, and his two daughters sing back up on our song, "Robots Don't Poop." It's me that is holding this record up, really – around the time we started the band I went back to school to become a Montessori teacher. I work full time, I am in school, I'm a single mom, and I'm in two bands since Catfight has been out playing again this year. I'm hoping after I finish my class at the end of the summer we can really focus on getting out a CD. Vinyl would be cool, too! Right now we have music up on our Facebook/ReverbNation page, so everyone go listen to that!
How do you go about booking a band in Atlanta, with a 10-year-old drummer?
Very carefully! We have been very lucky; Nick doesn't even know how lucky he is, what great shows he has played! Before he turned 10, he got to play not only [Rock n Roll] Monster Bash and Drive Invasion, but he got to open for CJ Ramone at Masquerade! We started by playing in restaurants owned by friends, we got everyone we knew out to see us, and we were lucky that a lot of folks posted videos of us on youtube. We got a lot of good word of mouth, and that led to more shows. I have played some of the most interesting shows with this band. We have played at Atlanta Rocks rock climbing gym on top of a huge boulder! You have to get creative booking shows when you have a 10-year-old in the band, but really I would say it's good to do that no matter what kind of band you have.
What's coming up for the band in the near future?
Well, we are playing at Shorty's Pizza in Tucker on Saturday, May 12. We have wanted to play Shorty's because the food is great! This is a special show because it's also an end-of-season party for Nick's baseball team. The coach wanted Spooky Partridge for the party, and we were only too glad to oblige. There is one kid on Nick's team who loves Led Zeppelin as much as Nick, so we are going to do an abbreviated "Moby Dick" for him. We are also playing an art opening at the Defoor Centre on June 10! That should be great.
Catfight is playing Tunes From the Tombs at Oakland Cemetery on Sat. May 19 at 3 p.m. in the Criminal Records tent. Also we are playing at the Plaza Theatre before the [Blast-off Burlesque Taboo-La-La] screening of BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS June 2 – my dream show!
Spooky Partridge. Photo credit: Rose Riot.
Any words of wisdom for aspiring female musicians? Mothers?
I have a little anecdote about being a female musician in Atlanta 20 years ago for everyone, and I hope this is something that does not happen to women in bands anymore! Doll Squad was playing at Masquerade one night, and when we finished we got off stage and wandered around, as you do, waiting to see the next band. This guy came over and said, (imagine redneck kind of voice) "Y'all were pretty good. But you'd be better if you played naked." We just had to laugh – what can you say?? That was not the only incident like that I experienced with Doll Squad or Catfight, but it's been a long, long time since I heard any nonsense like that. I hope no women in bands have that experience these days, but unfortunately I bet they do . . . Just keep playing ladies! Ignore the crap and get out there and play.
Moms: Expose your child to music as soon as possible – in the womb! Play every kind of music for them. Let them explore what they like. Even if you can't sing or play anything sing with your child anyway. Get silly, have fun! Nick and I will sing "Ma-na-ma-na" from The Muppets in the car, then we sing "Bohemian Rhapsody." It's all music, it's all good.
One more word of wisdom for mothers – no matter how much you want to absolutely do not watch THE STOOGES LIVE IN DETROIT DVD with your toddler thinking that he is too young to notice what obscenities Iggy Pop is yelling out. You could find yourself in the middle of Kroger with a child who yells "F****** dirt!" in the middle of the produce department. If this does happen, do what I do – pretend you are horrified and have no idea where the child could have learned this! If you are lucky, as I was, you ask him where he learned that word and he says, "From Daddy!"
Category: Kool Kat of the Week | Tags: AKA Blondie, Ann Beaman, Atlanta Rocks, Beatles, Blondie, Brittany Spears, Cartoon Network, Catfight!, CJ Ramone, Clermont Lounge, David T Lindsay, Defoor Centre, Doll Squad, Doughboys, Drive Invasion, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, James Kelly, Jennifer Leavey, Jimmy Demer, Junkman's Daughter, Katy Graves, Kool Kat of the Week, L7, led zeppelin, Lunachicks, Lust, Margaritaville, Marshall amp, Masquerade, Moby Dick, Mother's Day, Muppets, Nick Graves, No Action, Notorious BIG, Ozzfest, rock band camp, Rock City Dropouts, Rock n Roll Monster Bash, Shawn Christian, Shonen Knife, Shorty's Pizza, Spooky Partridge, Stooges, Stooges Live in Detroit, Susanne Gibboney, The Accidents, The Dugout, The Kids are Alright, The Runaways, The Who, Tiger! Tiger!, Van Halen, Worry Bird Records, X-Impossibles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Coupon-eligible converter box
TV Converter Box Coupon Program
https://www.dtv2009.gov/[dead link]
Apply. Buy. Try. It's easy!
Commercial?
Type of site
Available language(s)
US English and US Spanish, and portion of other languages
4,440,684 (November 2011[update])[1]
A coupon-eligible converter box (CECB) was a digital television adapter that met eligibility specifications for subsidy "coupons" from the United States government. The subsidy program was enacted to provide over-the-air TV viewers with an affordable way to continue receiving free digital over-the-air television services after the nation's television service transitioned to digital transmission and analog transmissions ceased. The specification was developed by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), with input from the broadcast and consumer electronics industries as well as public interest groups.
1.1 Early proposals
1.2 Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005
1.3 Implementing the program
2.1 Absolute requirements
2.2 Optional features
2.3 Disqualifying features
3 Low-power television concerns
4 End of subsidies
4.1 DTV Delay Act
4.2 Completing the transition
Early proposals
In March 2005, United States House Commerce Committee chairman Joe Barton of Texas said he would introduce a bill requiring the transition to digital television "sometime in the spring", saying he wanted analog broadcasting to end on December 31, 2006. Included in his plan was a $400–$500 million subsidy for converter boxes, which were expected to cost $50 each. The subsidies were intended only for people who could not afford a pay service such as cable or satellite television. Each home would receive a rebate coupon for one box, which could be mailed to the United States Treasury for redemption. Barton estimated that 8 to 10 million converters would be needed.[2]
Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005
The United States Digital Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005, part of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, required that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) direct all full-power television stations to cease analog TV broadcasting before midnight on February 17, 2009. (This deadline later changed to June 12, 2009.) Recognizing that consumers might wish to continue receiving broadcast programming over-the-air using analog-only televisions, the Act authorized the NTIA to create a digital-to-analog converter box assistance program. Consumer education plans for the subsidy program were targeted to low-income, elderly, disabled, inner city, immigrant, and rural Americans, because these groups were more likely to use an antenna instead of cable or satellite television.[3] The Act also established a new Treasury fund, known as the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Fund. It directed the FCC to deposit the receipts from the spectrum auction of the returned analog television frequencies into the fund.
The Act directed the NTIA to implement and administer a program through which eligible US households could obtain a maximum of two "coupons" (actually payment vouchers) of $40 each, to be applied towards the purchase of a digital-to-analog converter box. The Act defines the term converter box to mean "a stand-alone device that does not contain features or functions except those necessary to enable a consumer to convert any channel broadcast in the digital television service into a format that the consumer can display on television receivers designed to receive and display signals only in the analog television service, but may also include a remote control device." The Act, however, did not define "eligible household".[4]
As of April 2006, 20 million people (some with more than one set) received only over-the-air TV. When the number of people subscribing to cable or satellite who also had TVs that only used an antenna, an estimated 70 million TVs would need upgrading.[5]
Implementing the program
In 2006, the NTIA let people see its plan for distributing coupons and comment on it. The plan prohibited people with cable or satellite service from requesting coupons. In order to get two coupons, consumers had to state that they had two television sets. In an effort to limit misconduct, coupon requests would be only be taken between January 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009; each coupon would be valid for three months. The consumer-education program only had a budget of $5 million, so the companies participating in the transition would have to help.[6]
On March 12, 2007, the NTIA held a news conference to announce the standards for the converter boxes and the requirements for receiving coupons. With the standards established, manufacturing could begin and the NTIA could select a company to send out coupons.[7]
With $1.5 billion in funding, the coupons would account for only half of the 73 million analog TVs not using a pay service, including 18 million in homes having only over-the-air TV reception. The Commerce Department had no plans to make coupons available only to the poor.
Coupons could be requested by phone, mail, or online.[8] At first, anyone would be able to apply, even for those who had one or more TVs connected to cable or satellite.
The NTIA set the standards for the converter box based on what manufacturers and broadcasters wanted. LG Electronics, Thomson, Samsung, and Jasco were the first companies to announce plans to make the devices. After June 1, 2007, retailers could apply to sell converter boxes. Each would have to be in the NTIA's Central Contractor Registration database, and have been in the consumer-electronics business for at least a year.[9]
An example of the NTIA converter box $40 subsidy "coupon", which is in the form of a bank card that can only be used as payment for a converter box purchase.
To implement the coupon program, the Act authorized NTIA to use up to $990 million from the fund, including $100 million for program administration. Those funds supported an initial "non-contingent" program that was available to all requesting households. NTIA was also authorized to spend up to $1.5 billion for the program (including $160 million for administration) if the initial $990 million were insufficient to fulfill the non-contingent coupon requests. In that case, a "contingent" fund would be available for US households not serviced by cable or satellite.[10] If the funds were insufficient, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate would be notified.
An initial funding of $990 million was expected to allow all US households an opportunity to apply for the coupons, which expired 90 days after they were mailed. After that money was used up, $510 million in additional funds was available to households that stated they did not already subscribe to cable or satellite television services. Neither allotment had a means test.[10]
The NTIA planned to start processing coupon requests a year before the original transition date of February 17, 2009; 2.4 million people had applied for 4.7 million coupons, out of an estimated 13 million homes that still received television with an antenna.[11]
By the end of 2008, the New York Times said "about 40 million coupons have been requested, but to date 16 million have been redeemed, compared with an estimated 35 million televisions that will lose a signal."[12] Institutions, such as retirement homes, were initially excluded from the program; while this was partially remedied (to allow one coupon per retirement-home resident),[citation needed] prisons,[13] homeless shelters[14] and residential hotels remained disqualified from the coupon program.
On January 4, 2009, the NTIA began placing coupon requests on a waiting list after the program reached its maximum allowed funding. Only after unredeemed coupons expire could new requests be fulfilled.[15] By January 7, NTIA's waiting list included just under a million requested coupons. A week later, the list had grown to two million coupons.[16]
On January 7, both Consumers Union and Representative Ed Markey of Massachusetts (who headed the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee's telecom subcommittee) advocated that the February 17, 2009 analog shutoff date be postponed, due to the lack of coupons and NTIA's inability to handle the expected public enquiries.[17] On January 8, President-Elect Barack Obama's transition team contacted key legislators to express support for a delay, largely because of problems funding coupons for converters.[18][19] The delay passed early in February (see below).
The NTIA Specification is arranged in three categories, describing required, permitted, and disqualifying features.
Absolute requirements
A digital TV converter box
These features were absolutely required, but varied in the way they are provided by the box.
Coupon-eligible converter boxes had to convert all ATSC (digital) formats to the traditional NTSC analog system used by analog US television sets. The box must output signals both as a radio frequency output (compatible with a television's antenna input), as well as composite video and stereo audio outputs. It must include a remote control, and be compatible with universal remotes.
The units had to support both a 4:3 center crop of a 16:9 transmitted image, and a letterbox rendition of a 16:9 transmitted image. The video outputs had to produce video at an ITU-R BT.500-11 quality scale of Grade 4 or higher. Various technical performance parameters for the digital tuner were also specified.
The boxes must decode Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages, Closed Captioning data, and Parental Control (V-Chip) descriptors. They must decode the Program and System Information Protocol (PSIP) data from the digital transmission, and use it to provide the user with tuned channel and program information.
CECBs must consume no more than an average of 2 watts of power when not in use (no video or audio display). They must provide an automatic power-down option that can put the unit in standby mode when it has not received any commands for a while.
Manufacturers could self-certify compliance with these requirements, but had to provide test results and two units to the NTIA for ad hoc testing. The FCC could also test converter boxes at the NTIA's request. Among the optional features permitted, but not required, were the following:
Support for a smart antenna, through the use of the CEA-909 Antenna Control Interface. The manufacturer could optionally provide a promotional package discount for the combination of a smart antenna and a CECB.
Multichannel television sound (BTSC) stereo at the RF output.
S-Video output.
Analog passthrough, as needed for LPTV, broadcast translator, and foreign signal reception.
Electronic program guide
Software updates.
Support for the Canadian television ratings system, allowing the manufacturer to sell the same device in Canada.
Support for secondary audio channels, such as foreign languages or Descriptive Video Service.[20]
While an outdoor antenna is required for adequate digital reception in most locations beyond 10–25 miles (16–40 km) from TV transmitters, and smart antenna interfaces were an optionally permitted feature of coupon-eligible converter boxes,[21] there were no subsidies for antennas. Although manufacturers could sell a converter/smart-antenna bundle, they were required to also offer the converter by itself to consumers.[22]
DTV converter boxes could earn a United States Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star label if they consume no more than eight watts of electricity while operating, no more than one watt while in standby mode, and if they automatically power-down after four hours of inactivity.[23]
Disqualifying features
Some features disqualified a converter box from coupon eligibility, such as high-definition video output and built-in DVR functionality. Digital cable and satellite set-top boxes that incorporate a digital tuner were also disqualified.
Certain output features were prohibited from coupon-eligible devices: component video, VGA, RGB, DVI, HDMI, USB video, IEEE-1394/iLink/Firewire video, Ethernet video, and IEEE-802.11/WiFi video outputs.[10]
Coupon-eligible converter boxes only tune to one channel at a time, as they only contain one digital tuner and no analog tuner. In order to watch one channel while recording another, one must have two such converter boxes, unless the recording device has its own digital TV tuner.
Most video recorders were also unable to change channels under control of built-in timers when using a converter, as channel selection was then handled by the converter.[24] Some converter boxes have a programmable timer, which the user could program to match the recording schedule of their VCR. Then, the converter's tuner will change to the appropriate channel at the time the VCR needs to record. This requires a separate box for the VCR, or the viewer will have to watch what is being recorded. Another, less common option is an "IR blaster", which a recorder can use to control an external tuner, like a cable set-top box or converter box. However, older devices with IR blasters may not be fully compatible with digital subchannels; the converter box may require the use of a [-] or [.] button to specify the subchannel, which the pre-digital recorder may not know how to transmit. Some older TiVo brand digital recorders received software updates specifically to control digital converter boxes via the TiVo's included IR blaster.[25]
Small battery-operated portable televisions, while valuable in time of disaster, are generally poorly suited to digital conversion. While at least one CECB (Winegard's RCDT09A) is operable from an external battery pack,[26] the combination of television, converter, external antenna, and power supply limits portability.[27] As of 2009[update], portable digital LCD TV sets cost at least $100, and could not be used while in motion at significant speeds. (That will require broadcasters to transmit mobile TV via the separate ATSC-M/H standard, which will itself require new tuners.)
The inability of some boxes to add new digital channels without a full re-scan—deleting all existing channel settings—renders them unusable to viewers who rely on directional antennas and rotors to receive distant stations. Signal strength meters, where available, are awkward, typically only displaying information for channels that have already been found.[28] This is problematic, as digital signals are most often transmitted on higher frequencies or with far less power than their analog counterparts,[29] requiring careful antenna installation, orientation and location to avoid obstructions, fading and multipath interference problems. Where the converter fails to receive a channel, an often-cumbersome manual process is usually provided; however, this requires knowledge of which frequencies each missing station is actually transmitting on, rather than the virtual channels each is mapped to by the ATSC protocol.
Since the NTIA did not require CECBs to output MTS stereo signals via their radio-frequency output, THAT Corporation[nb 1] noted that consumers using RF-only connections with CECBs will lose stereo TV sound.[30] This problem may be avoided by using the converter's line level audio outputs.
Low-power television concerns
A year before the transition, Ron Bruno, president of the Community Broadcasters Association (CBA), said only four of 37 NTIA-certified converter boxes had analog passthrough, and none had analog tuners.[11]
In late March 2008, the CBA filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia seeking an injunction to halt the sale and distribution of CECBs.[31][32] According to the CBA, the converters' lack of support for analog transmissions would harm its member stations, which include low-power and class A television stations, as it was cost-prohibitive for many of them to convert to digital transmission.[33] The CBA claimed that the new boxes would prevent viewers from being able to watch these analog-only stations; viewers might not even be aware such stations still existed, because the boxes would not list them.[34] At the time of the digital transition, the FCC did not set a deadline for existing LPTV stations to convert to digital service; however, it announced that no new analog LPTV stations would be authorized.[35]
Responding to the CBA, the FCC and NTIA urged manufacturers to include analog support voluntarily in all converter boxes. Manufacturers responded by releasing a new generation of models with the feature. Some new DVD recorders and personal video recorders also provide both analog and digital tuners, and therefore could perform the basic functions of a set-top box in both modes.
In early May 2008, the D.C. district court denied the CBA petition without comment. The CBA felt that the court wanted them to continue working with the FCC. The association said it would continue to pressure the FCC to support analog functionality as a requirement of the All-Channel Receiver Act, urge more government funding for low power and Class A broadcasters to transition to digital, and ask Congress to increase the number of such stations eligible for funds.[36]
On August 13, 2009, the CBA announced that it would cease operations. One reason given was the cost required to fight "restrictive regulations that kept the Class A and LPTV industry from realizing its potential", including the campaign to require analog passthrough. Amy Brown, former CBA executive director, said "some 40 percent of Class A and LPTV station operators believe they will have to shut down in the next year if they are not helped through the digital transition."[37]
In June 2010, the FCC stopped accepting new applications for digital LPTV stations while it considered the spectrum needs of the National Broadband Plan.[38] In a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in September 2010, the FCC suggested setting a shutoff date for all analog TV transmissions, including LPTV stations, in 2012.[39] It also proposed moving all low-power stations on channels 52–69 to new frequencies, to free the 700 MHz band for other uses.[39] In April 2011, the NTIA announced that it would stop accepting applications for grants toward upgrading LPTV stations to digital transmission as of July 2, 2012.[40] The grant program was initially funded with $44 million; as of June 2011[update], over $30 million in grant funding remained available.[41]
End of subsidies
By early January 2009, the NTIA had issued $1.34 billion worth of coupons for converter boxes, reaching the obligation limit set by the U.S. Congress in the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005. As a result, the NTIA started placing requests for coupons on a waiting list, issuing coupons as previously-issued but unredeemed coupons reached their expiration date.[42]
In December 2008, FCC commissioner McDowell urged "those who don't need the government subsidy not to wait on that process before purchasing a converter box for themselves or as a gift for someone else. During the weeks it takes for the government to process coupon requests, you will lose precious time to hook up the box, check antenna connections, and start enjoying free digital broadcast TV right away."[43]
As economic conditions in the US continued to worsen, demand for the converters increased. Nielsen Media Research estimated in August 2008 that 25 percent of affected viewers would opt for inexpensive converters instead of replacing existing televisions or switching to cable and satellite television subscriptions.[citation needed] By November 2008, 38.3 percent were planning to buy the less-costly converter boxes.[citation needed]
Many retailers had stocked converters based on coupon use and shortages of the converter boxes themselves remained possible.[44] In early February 2009, the Consumer Electronics Association estimated that three to six million converters were available,[45] while Nielsen estimated 5.8 million American households were completely unready for digital transition.[citation needed] The New York Times estimated that converter supplies could run out by the end of the month.[46] Manufacturers who had halted production ahead of the original February 17, 2009 deadline were to resume converter box assembly but this new stock was not expected in stores until April.[47]
Legislators from the American southwest were among those supporting a delay in the digital cutover, citing safety concerns because as many as a quarter of households in television markets there had not prepared to receive digital signals by January 2009. A judge from Hildago County, Texas noted that Latino, low-income, elderly, and rural homes were at risk.[48] Some residents could receive analog signals from Mexico;[48] Mexico does not plan to transition to digital transmission until the end of 2021.
DTV Delay Act
The DTV Delay Act, signed into law on February 11, 2009, extended the digital transition deadline to June 12, 2009.[49][50] The DTV Delay Act did not address the shortfall in funding for converter-box coupons; the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, part of a larger appropriations bill signed into law on February 17, 2009, added $650 million in funding—$490 million of that for coupons, increasing the total coupon-fund expenditure to $1.83 billion.[51][52][53] By February 18, 36 percent of the United States's full-power stations had transitioned to digital-only, but five million of the nation's 115 million households remained entirely unready;[54] at the time, 4.3 million coupon requests remained on the NTIA waiting list.[16] The NTIA resumed issuing coupons in early March 2009, expecting to clear its backlog in two and a half weeks.[55] Political issues had contributed to the delays in sending out coupons; the NTIA could not issue coupons above the spending limit set in the bill, even knowing that many already-issued coupons would expire.[56] Even though unused coupons meant more money for the program, the coupons had to actually expire before the money could be "reused" for newly-issued coupons.[57] Those coupons it did send out were sent via standard mail, rather than first-class mail, as Congress had required in the legislation, but that caused coupons to be delayed up to four weeks.[56]
The NTIA was legally required to issue coupons on a first-come, first-served basis; viewers in markets where individual stations ended analog broadcasts by the original deadline did not receive priority handling of their DTV coupon requests.[58]
On March 24, 2009, the NTIA announced that the four-million-person waiting-list backlog had been cleared, meaning those whose coupons had expired could reapply. The NTIA estimated 17 million coupons had expired, while 25.7 million—56 percent of those issued—had been used.[52] On April 12, Nielsen estimated that 3.6 million households remained unready.[59]
Completing the transition
The analog shutdown for full-power TV stations was completed in mid-2009, with several stations ending analog transmissions well before the June 12, 2009 deadline. (Many transitioned on the original February 17 date.) In most cases, at least one station in each media market continued analog broadcasts for up to 30 days afterward as an "analog nightlight"—prohibited from broadcasting regular programming, but allowed to transmit information on how to obtain and connect a converter box to receive digital programming (and send Emergency Alert System broadcasts.). This allowed viewers who had not converted by the deadline to receive at least one channel that would explain the absence of the other analog channels. The half-hour public service announcement with English and Spanish segments seen on most such stations was produced by the National Association of Broadcasters.[citation needed]
Nielsen said 2.5 million homes were still incapable of receiving a digital signal two days after the deadline.[60] On June 17, 2009, the NTIA said two million requested coupons had not yet been mailed.[60]
The NTIA reported that, as of July 22, 2009, 33,578,000 coupons had been used—more than the 33.5 million possible with the original $1.34 billion allocation. $435 million of the extra money added was already owed for pending requests.[53]
U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio and Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation which would have extended the converter-box coupon program beyond July 31, 2009, subsidized antennas, and require satellite and cable TV companies to provide a $10 basic-broadcast-channel package available to those who had lost the ability to receive at least one over-the-air channel because of the transition.[61] Neither Congressman's bill was passed into law.[62][63]
At midnight on July 31, 2009, the CECB program expired, without extension.[citation needed] Toward the end of July, consumers were making 35,000 requests for coupons per day, with just over half those issued being used.[64] On July 30, though, the number of requests totalled 78,000, and on the final day, 169,000 were received.[65] Requests sent via mail with a postmark of July 31 or earlier were processed; about $300 million in funding remained. By August 5, 2009, consumers had used 33,962,696 coupons.[65]
The NTIA said 4,287,379 coupons had been requested but not redeemed. As of August 12, $310,796,690 was available, and if all requested coupons were redeemed, $139,300,174 would be left.[57]
An unidentified NTIA source said the agency returned $241.6 million to the Treasury Department; $2.6 million went to "final closeout costs".[66] After the program ended, $250 million from the original bill had not been used, and the additional $490 million allocated in February 2009 had not been touched.[66] These funds almost equalled the $490 million Congress had appropriated to boost the program in January 2008, when it appeared the program would run out of money.[66] The additional funding was needed to satisfy the accounting rules imposed on the program by Congress, rather than an actual need for the funds.[66] The unused funds from the original bill went to a DTV public safety fund, as required in the legislation.[66]
^ Which licensed the now-expired patents to the dbx noise reduction technology used in MTS, and still holds patents on some digital implementations of MTS
Title III of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Pub. No. 109-171 (Feb. 8, 2006).
Request for Comment and Notice of Proposed Rules to Implement and Administer a Coupon Program for Digital-to-Analog Converter Boxes, Docket Number 060512129-6129-01 (Jul. 25, 2006).
^ "Dtv2009.gov Site Info". Alexa Internet. http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/dtv2009.gov. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
^ McConnell, Bill (March 15, 2005). "Barton Targets DTV Bill for Spring". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/156484-Barton_Targets_DTV_Bill_for_Spring.php. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
^ "Digital Television Transition: Implementation of the Converter Box Subsidy Program Is Under Way, but Preparedness to Manage an Increase in Subsidy Demand Is Unclear". GAO. United States Government Accountability Office. September 16, 2008. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-08-1040. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Wallsten, Scott (September 15, 2008). The DTV Coupon Program: A Boon to Retailers, not Consumers (Report). Washington, DC: Technology Policy Institute. http://www.techpolicyinstitute.org/files/the_dtv_coupon_program.pdf. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Dickson, Glen (April 30, 2006). "Old TVs Steal Show at NAB". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/103959-Old_TVs_Steal_Show_at_NAB.php. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
^ Eggerton, John (July 24, 2006). "Cable Households Won't Get Converter Subsidy". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/93696-Cable_Households_Won_t_Get_Converter_Subsidy.php. Retrieved August 12, 2009.
^ Teinowitz, Ira (March 12, 2007). "News briefs". Television Week 26 (11): 4.
^ Davidson, Paul (13 March 2007). "All in U.S. eligible for TV box coupons". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-03-12-tv-box-coupons_N.htm. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
^ "Four Suppliers Plan To Build Converter Boxes". TWICE (New York, NY: NewBay Media). March 26, 2007. http://www.twice.com/article/250270-Four_Suppliers_Plan_To_Build_Converter_Boxes.php. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ a b c National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Rules to Implement and Administer a Coupon Program for Digital-to-Analog Converter Boxes (Report). United States Department of Commerce. 0612242667-7051-01. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090603214653/http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/frnotices/2007/DTVFinalRule_2a.htm.
^ a b Eggerton, John (February 18, 2008). "Ready or Not, Here Comes DTV". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/112503-Ready_or_Not_Here_Comes_DTV.php. Retrieved September 10, 2009.
^ Taub, Eric A. (December 22, 2008). "In Move to Digital TV, Confusion Is in the Air". The New York Times (New York: The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/22/technology/22digital.html. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Davenport, Jim (September 4, 2008). "Prisons scramble to make digital TV switch". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26548827. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Olivarez-Giles, Nathan (March 1, 2009). "Digital TV may bypass skid row". Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles: Los Angeles Times). http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-coverside1-2009mar01,0,1094570.story. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Hart, Kim (January 6, 2008). "TV Converter Program Runs Out of Funding". The Washington Post: p. D01. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/01/06/ST2009010600089.html. Retrieved January 6, 2008.
^ a b http://www.dtv2009.gov/Stats.aspx[dead link]
^ Teinowitz, Ira (January 7, 2009). "Key Congressman Floats DTV-Switch Delay". TVWeek (Crain Communications). http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/01/key_congressman_floats_dtvswit.php. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Puzzanghera, Jim; Parsons, Christi (January 9, 2009). "All-digital TV? Please stand by". Chicago Tribune. Los Angeles Times (Chicago). Archived from the original on February 19, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090219080309/http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-fi-dtv9-2009jan09,0,1586472.story.
^ Hart, Kim (January 9, 2009). "Obama Urges Delay In Digital TV Switch". The Washington Post (Washington, DC): p. D01. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/08/AR2009010802586.html. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (PDF), Video Descriptions and the Digital Television Transition, FCC Consumer Advisory, Washington, DC: Federal Communications Commission, http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvvideodescription.pdf, retrieved June 26, 2011
^ "Outreach Toolkit—Article: DTV and Antenna". DTV.gov. Washington, DC: Federal Communications Commission. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20100527171925/http://www.dtv.gov/outreach_article_antennas.html.
^ Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau. "Antennas and Digital Television". FCC.gov. Federal Communications Commission. http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/dtvantennas.html. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ "EPA: energystar.gov". http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=dta.pr_dta. [dead link]
^ Wolverton, Troy (February 16, 2009). "With shift to digital TV, how long can VCRs stay afloat?". San José Mercury News (San Jose, CA). Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. http://benton.org/node/22185.
^ "Which digital converter boxes for antenna are compatible with my TiVo DVR?". TiVo. http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/310. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Moskovciak, Matthew (September 30, 2008). "Winegard RCDT09A". CNET Reviews. CBS Interactive. http://reviews.cnet.com/tv-hdtv-tuners-receivers/winegard-rcdt09a/4505-6487_7-33280760.html. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
^ Guy, Colin (February 16, 2009). "Southeast Texans might have more time to prep for digital switch". Beaumont Enterprise (Beaumont, TX: Hearst Newspapers). http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/se_texans_might_have_more_time_to_prep_for_digital_switch_02-16-2009.html. Retrieved June 26, 2011. "Although Burlington, Iowa-based Winegard produces a battery-powered digital converter box, some viewers might find that the tiny antennas attached to portable televisions and the rabbit-ears in their living room aren't sufficient to pick up a digital signal."
^ DTV Broadcast Newsroom[dead link]
^ DTVAnswers.com (June 4, 2008) (PPT). Digital Television (DTV) Transition Campaign Overview (Report). National Association of Broadcasters. http://www.dtvanswers.com/webcasts/060408_FinalSlides.ppt. Retrieved June 26, 2011. NAB's DTVanswers.com estimates 1,295 stations relocating to a channel different than their NTSC channel, many across bands.
^ "dbx-TV and the Digital TV Transition". THAT Corporation. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. http://www.thatcorp.com/dbxTV-DTV-transition.html.
^ Rose, Joel (May 3, 2008). "What Will Digital Do to Low-Power TV?". NPR. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90157323. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ "Community Broadcasters Association petitions court to order DTV converter halt". Broadcast Engineering. March 28, 2008. http://broadcastengineering.com/newsrooms/community_broadcasters_association_petitions_0328. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ "For LPTV, DTV Is a Countdown to Disaster". TVNewsCheck. November 15, 2007. http://www.tvnewscheck.com/articles/2007/11/15/daily.2/?promo. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ Dunbar, John (March 26, 2008). "Small stations claim digital TV switch will bankrupt them". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/industry/2008-03-26-small-stations-digital-tv_N.htm. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ "Low Power Television (LPTV) Service". Consumer and Government Affairs Bureau. Federal Communications Commission. http://www.fcc.gov/guides/low-power-television-lptv-service. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ "Court Denies CBA Petition on Analog Pass-Through". TV Technology. March 9, 2008. http://www.tvtechnology.com/pages/s.0157/t.13436.html. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
^ "Community Broadcasters Association to Shutter". Broadcasting & Cable. August 13, 2009. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/327560-Community_Broadcasters_Association_to_Shutter.php?rssid=20068&q=digital+tv. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
^ McAdams, Deborah D. (June 29, 2010). "New LPTV Station Applications Halted by Broadband Demands". Television Broadcast (NewBay Media). http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/102784. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ a b Federal Communications Commission (2010). In the Matter of Amendment of Parts 73 and 74 of the Commission's Rules to Establish Rules for Digital Low Power Television, Television Translator, and Television Booster Stations and to Amend Rules for Digital Class A Television Stations: Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Memorandum Opinion and Order (Report). Federal Communications Commission. FCC 10-172, MB 03-185. http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2010/db0917/FCC-10-172A1.pdf. Retrieved July 7, 2011. (2010 F.R. 26062)
^ McAdams, Deborah (April 28, 2011). "Fed Sets Deadline on LPTV Upgrade Program". Television Broadcast. http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/119896. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ "Low Power Television and Translator Digital Upgrade Program". Digital Television Transition and Public Safety. National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. June 6, 2011. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/lptv/index.html. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ "Commerce's NTIA Announces New Coupon Applicants Will be Placed on Waiting List Due to High Demand for TV Converter Box Coupons" (Press release). National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. January 5, 2009. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press/2009/DTV_WaitList_090105.html. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ McDowell, Robert M.. Statement of Commissioner Robert M. McDowell Re: Implementation of Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act; Establishment of DTV Transition "Analog Nightlight" Program (Report). Federal Communications Commission. MB 08-255; FCC 08-281. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090123144112/http://www.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2008/db1224/FCC-08-281A6.txt.
^ Laliberte, Monica (January 5, 2009). "Cash for digital TV converter-box coupons runs out". WRAL (Raleigh, NC: Capitol Broadcasting Company). http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4247992/. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ Eggerton, John (February 5, 2009). "Worst Case: Converter Boxes Could Run Out By End Of Month". Broadcasting & Cable (NewBay Media). http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/173700-Worst_Case_Converter_Boxes_Could_Run_Out_By_End_Of_Month.php. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ Hansell, Saul (February 6, 2009). "Forget Coupons—Are There Enough DTV Converters?". The New York Times (New York). http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/forget-coupons-are-there-enough-dtv-converters/?apage=1. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ Svensson, Peter (February 6, 2009). "Industry: DTV Converter Boxes Could Run Out". MSNBC. Associated Press (NBC Universal). http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29056983/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/industry-dtv-converter-boxes-could-run-out/. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ a b Brezosky, Lynn (January 27, 2009). "Border areas lag in being ready for digital TV switch". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. http://web.archive.org/web/20090129224405/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/state/38437874.html. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ Dixon, Kim (February 4, 2009). "Congress approves digital TV delay". Reuters (Thomson Reuters). http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUKTRE5136YP20090204. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
^ Eggerton, John (February 11, 2009). "Obama Signs DTV-Delay Bill". Broadcasting & Cable (NewBay Media). http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/174041-Obama_Signs_DTV_Delay_Bill.php. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
^ Dixon, Kim (February 18, 2009). "DTV coupon backlog seen gone within weeks". Reuters (Thomson Reuters). http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUKTRE51G5ZG20090218. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
^ a b Migoya, David (March 25, 2009). "Those with expired coupons for digital-converter boxes may now reapply". The Denver Post (Denver, CO). http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_11988674. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
^ a b Eggerton, John (July 24, 2009). "Government Exceeds Original Converter Box Coupon Funding Limit". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/316344-Government_Exceeds_Original_Converter_Box_Coupon_Funding_Limit.php?rssid=20068&q=digital+tv. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
^ Baumann, Greg (February 18, 2009). TV Week (Crain Communications). http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/02/dtv_switch_report_5_mil_homes.php title = DTV Switch Report: 5 Mil Homes Not Ready. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
^ "TV converter box coupons start flowing again". MSNBC. Associated Press. March 5, 2009. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29530464/. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
^ a b Hart, Kim; Whoriskey, Peter (February 15, 2009). "Regulatory muddle stalled DTV switch". The Seattle Times (Seattle, WA). http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008746214_dtv15.html. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
^ a b Eggerton, John (August 24, 2009). "Treasury to Get Nine-Figure Return On Coupon Program". Broadcasting & Cable (NewBay Media). http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/328786-Treasury_to_Get_Nine_Figure_Return_On_Coupon_Program.php?rssid=20068&q=digital+tv. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
^ Svensson, Peter (January 14, 2009). "Backlog still large for TV converter box coupons". USA Today. Associated Press (Gannett). http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-02-16-dtv-coupons_N.htm. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
^ "Digital TV transition becoming more common in Tampa-St. Pete". Tampa Bay Business Journal. April 16, 2009. http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2009/04/13/daily51.html. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b Eggerton, John (June 17, 2009). "2.5 Million Households Still Not Receiving DTV Signals". Multichannel News. http://www.multichannel.com/article/294834-2_5_Million_Households_Still_Not_Receiving_DTV_Signals.php?rssid=20059&q=converter+box. Retrieved June 18, 2009.
^ Eggerton, John (June 17, 2009). "House Version of Sanders DTV Bill Introduced". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/294816-House_Version_of_Sanders_DTV_Bill_Introduced.php. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
^ S.Res. 3740
^ H.Res. 2867
^ Eggerton, John (July 30, 2009). "Nielsen: 98.9% of U.S. Homes Can Get DTV Signal". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/326025-Nielsen_98_9_of_U_S_Homes_Can_Get_DTV_Signal.php?rssid=20068&q=digital+tv. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
^ a b Eggerton, John (August 7, 2009). "Converter Box Coupon Program Ends With Spike in Applications". http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/326586-Converter_Box_Coupon_Program_Ends_With_Spike_in_Applications.php?rssid=20065&q=digital+tv. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
^ a b c d e Eggerton, John (December 22, 2009). "Source: Almost $490 Million Unused from DTV Coupon Funding". Broadcasting & Cable. http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/441544-Source_Almost_490_Million_Unused_from_DTV_Coupon_Funding.php?rssid=20065&q=digital+tv. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
National Telecommunications & Information Administration DTV website, with Commerce Department Final Rules
KeepUsOn.com (archived), by the Community Broadcasters Association, promoting analog support in CECBs
v · d · eDigital television in North America
Digital broadcasting
ATSC tuners · Digital subchannels · Virtual channels · Distributed transmission system · Datacasting (Guide Plus · National Datacast · UpdateLogic) · Metropolitan Television Alliance · Grand Alliance
Digital switchover
All-Channel Receiver Act · SAFER Act · Digital channel election · Set-top boxes · Digital television adapter · U.S. Converter Box Coupon Program (legislation) · Analog passthrough · DVD recorders · Digital video recorders
Digital standards
ATSC Standards (ATSC · ATSC-M/H · 8VSB · A-VSB · E-VSB · PSIP · PMCP · full list) · Standard-definition TV (480i · 576i) · Enhanced-definition TV (480p · 576p) · High-definition TV (720p · 1080i · 1080p) · Serial digital interface · Smart antennas (CEA-909)
Digital networks
see Template:American broadcast television
National deployment
List by country · Canada · Mexico · United States (HDTV · transition · wireless spectrum auction)
Digital cable
Digital-cable-ready TV (QAM tuners) · Interactive-digital-cable-ready TV (OpenCable Application Platform · Advanced Common Application Platform) · Must-carry · Tru2way · AllVid
Subscription TV
Encryption · CableCARD · Downloadable Conditional Access System
DVB-S (Dish Network · GlobeCast World TV · Free-to-air receiver · Bell TV · Dish Network Mexico ) · DigiCipher 2 (4DTV · Shaw Direct) · Digital Satellite Service/DVB-S2 (DirecTV)
AT&T U-verse · MSN TV
14:9 · Active Format Description · Broadcast flag · Channel protection ratios · HDTV blur · Hierarchical modulation · Pirate decryption · Standards conversion · Video on demand
Television technology
Television in the United States
Belleview Precinct, Calhoun County, Illinois
Secret Empire
Coupon — This article is about a document exchanged in a financial transaction. For other uses, see Coupon (disambiguation). Food stuff coupons types I V for direct laborers and workers at Vietnam in period 1976–1986 In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or… … Wikipedia
Set-top box — A set top box (STB) or set top unit (STU) is a device that connects to a television and an external source of signal, turning the signal into content which is then displayed on the television screen. History Before the All Channel Receiver Act of … Wikipedia
Digital television transition in the United States — Further information: Digital television transition The DTV (an abbreviation of digital television, also called digital broadcast) transition in the United States was the switchover from analog (the traditional method of transmitting television… … Wikipedia
Digital television adapter — A digital TV converter box A digital television adapter (DTA), or digital to analog converter [set top box], or commonly known as a converter box, it is a television tuner that receives a digital television (DTV) transmission, and converts the… … Wikipedia
Analog passthrough — is a feature found on some digital to analog television converter boxes. Boxes without analog passthrough only allow digital TV (ATSC standard) to be viewed on older, analog only (NTSC standard) TVs. Those with analog passthrough allow both… … Wikipedia
ATSC tuner — Multiple MPEG programs are combined then sent to a transmitting antenna. In the US broadcast digital TV system, an ATSC receiver then decodes the TS and displays it on a TV. An ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) tuner, often called an… … Wikipedia
Comparison of CECB units — This page contains general information about the Coupon Eligible Converter Box units in table form.CECB List*†Awaiting NTIA approval(**)measured with wattmeters on actual units by Wikipedia usersOther Features Breakdown Non eligible converters… … Wikipedia
Digital television in the United States — See digital television for more technical details, or DTV transition in the United States for specific information related to the analog to digital switchover In the United States, digital television broadcasts, or DTV, can be received via cable … Wikipedia
Digital television transition — The digital television transition is the process in which analog television broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. This primarily involves both TV stations and over the air viewers; however it also involves content… … Wikipedia
Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 — The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005[1] is a United States Act of Congress concerning the budget, that became law in 2006. Contents 1 Legislative history 1.1 Dispute over legal status 2 Provis … Wikipedia


Ashwin Vasavada, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, has succeeded John Grotzinger as the Curiosity rover mission's chief scientist.
The science team on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity mission has a new leader.
Ashwin Vasavada, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, has succeeded John Grotzinger as Curiosity project scientist, agency officials announced Monday (Jan. 5).
"John Grotzinger put his heart and soul into Curiosity for seven years, leaving a legacy of success and scientific achievement," Vasavada said in a statement. "Now I look forward to continuing our expedition to Mars' ancient past, with a healthy rover and a dedicated and passionate international team. And yes, this is all just incredibly cool."
Curiosity's science team numbers nearly 500 people all over the world, who plan out how best to use the rover's 10 instruments and analyze its data. The project scientist oversees this effort and also coordinates with Curiosity's engineering team to make sure the science work doesn't put any undue strain on the rover or endanger its safety.
Curiosity landed inside Mars' Gale Crater in August 2012 on a mission to determine if the Red Planet could ever have supported microbial life. The rover has already found strong evidence that a potentially habitable lake-and-stream system once covered much of the crater billions of years ago, and it's now exploring the foothills of the 3.4-mile-high (5.5 kilometers) Mount Sharp in search of more clues about the planet's past.
Vasavada had served as deputy project scientist on the mission since 2004. Grotzinger, who is based at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, recently became chair of the university's Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences. He is still a member of the Curiosity science team, NASA officials said.


Luxury Condos for sale Daniel Island SC | High end luxury and waterfront condos, and townhouses for sale Daniel Island SC. Much of the luxury real estate on Daniel Island is on the Daniel Island Park side of the island closest to the private club and the two golf courses. Daniel Island is a large island suburban community just outside of Mt Pleasant and 20 mins from Charleston with its own schools, private clubs, concert/tennis venue, and many parks to enjoy. Since many owners in "the park" side of the island are retired luxury condos have become very popular as most do not care to maintain a detached home any longer. Condos like The Oaks at Rivers Edge, mid rise waterfront luxury condominiums have taken off in popularity. There are a few golf course condos and a few luxury townhouse developments as well in Daniel Island Park, including Rivergreen Place, Grove Park and Townhomes at Ralston Place. If Daniel Island isn't providing what it is you're looking for the Charleston SC luxury condo market is rife with options, Mt Pleasant luxury condos are also worth looking into if the suburban setting is what you want. As you can likely guess the most popular of all the luxury condominiums in largest demand are waterfront condos.


Sublime: Nice Features & Plugins: A brief talk introducing my favorite editor.
fullPage.js: I've been using this jquery plugin in a forthcoming project. It makes it really easy to create slide-like single page websites.
Obfuscating "Hello world!": The author attempts to write the worst 'hello world' possibe in Python. He does a good job.
Show Time in Multiple Time Zones with TextExpander: As I spend more time working with people in different time zones, tools like this help remove the cognitive challenge of translating time.


text:
Gene Green & Dan Kildee
Compare the voting records of Gene Green and Dan Kildee in 2017-18.
Gene Green
Represented Texas's 29th Congressional District. This is his 13th term in the House.
Dan Kildee
Represented Michigan's 5th Congressional District. This is his 3rd term in the House.
Gene Green and Dan Kildee are from the same party and agreed on 89 percent of votes in the 115th Congress (2017-18).
Nov. 16, 2018 — Manage our Wolves Act
July 25, 2018 — Restoring Access to Medication Act
July 11, 2018 — Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act
May 8, 2018 — Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act"
April 25, 2018 — To provide for operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System pursuant to a certain operation plan for a specified period of time, and for other purposes
Feb. 14, 2018 — Protecting Consumers' Access to Credit Act of 2017
Dec. 14, 2017 — Privacy Notification Technical Clarification Act
July 20, 2017 — King Cove Road Land Exchange Act
March 16, 2017 — Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act
Feb. 14, 2017 — Red River Gradient Boundary Survey Act
Sept. 6, 2018 — Pallone of New Jersey Part B Amendment No. 1
On Ordering the Previous Question
July 26, 2018 — Providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 5515, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military activities of the Department of Defense, military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for the fiscal year
July 18, 2018 — Providing for consideration of H.Con.Res. 119, expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy
May 23, 2018 — Garamendi of California Amendment No. 5
Sept. 8, 2017 — Carbajal of California Amendment No. 57
July 26, 2017 — Esty of Connecticut Amendment No. 44
July 20, 2017 — Grijalva of Arizona Part C Amendment No. 3
July 18, 2017 — Polis of Colorado Amendment No. 4
July 18, 2017 — Beyer of Virginia Amendment No. 3
July 13, 2017 — Blumenauer of Oregon Part B Amendment No. 8
March 9, 2017 — Soto of Florida Amendment No. 1


text:
UPDATED: Iran releases remaining Slovak paragliders
THE REMAINING two Slovak paragliders detained in Iran are back home. After more than 200 days spent in detention over espionage allegations, they were flown into Bratislava on December 13 shortly after 1:30 by a government airplane.
They were allowed to leave Iran after several hours of intense negotiations, involving Prime Minister Robert Fico and Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák, and the main deputy of Iranian president and first Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri on the Iranian side, the TASR newswire wrote. The talks then continued on the expert level. Fico claimed that it was a battle of nerves, as the two paragliders were theoretically released, but it took several more hours to procure all documents necessary for leaving Iran. Lajčák added that the situation was more complex than it seemed on December 12 when they arrived to the country.
The pair was handed over to Slovak officials on December 11, the Iranian Mehr newswire reported, as quoted by TASR, without giving more details on the release. Beginning in September, Iran freed six of the eight Slovak travellers, but two others, Pavol Šeliga and Marek Stolarčík, were to stay in the country until the suspicions surrounding them were fully investigated, TASR wrote.
The eight Slovaks were detained in mid-May for what Iranian authorities called "illegal activities, such as taking photos of prohibited places" in the Isfahan province, where several key nuclear facilities are located, including at least one plant used for enriching uranium. They are members of Paragliding Expedition Slovakia, a group that has organised several expeditions abroad in recent years, and which made documentary films that they later presented at film festivals. The group claims to have travelled to Iran as tourists in early May.
Iranian authorities confirmed that eight Slovak paragliders had been detained on June 30, saying they were "behaving inappropriately and had unconventional devices with them", as reported by TASR. One of the six released paragliders said that they were allegedly detained for having dual-band transmitters.
This case became one of the crucial issues of the talks in August between Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif on the occasion of the latter's appointment, and also in September during their meeting in New York.
13. Dec 2013 at 0:00 | Compiled by Spectator staff


A deck of playing cards attack Alice, as Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland draws to a close.
Based on an illustration by John Tenniel in the first edition of the book.
Alice Finds a Bottle Labelled "Drink Me"


my most recent training diary entry is up, now with a much better picture of me (i think). It also mentions Joy thinking about trying out for the class. 10 points to whoever can identify the quote I used at the end (and it doesn't count if I already told you I was gonna do it).
Is the quote from Fraggle Rock? Laugh in my face if I'm wrong, but I think this might be right... also, nice site!
that is correct, and a gold star for the lady... I am very impressed. Were you a big fraggle rock fan?


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Combine 1 cup cream and sesame oil in small bowl. Mix into dry ingredients. Add enough additional cream by tablespoons to bind dough. Knead 30 seconds. Flatten dough into 1/2-inch-round. Cut out biscuits using 2 1/2-inch-diameter cookie cutter dipped into flour. Gather scraps and reform into round. Cut out additional biscuits. Transfer to baking sheet. Brush with egg glaze. Top with sesame seeds. Bake until biscuits rise and tops are brown, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly. This recipe yields about 10 biscuits.


Belgian MSX people on Oss 2004 fair ?
MSX USB reader for PC - where to purchase ?
New MSX: Personal Computer? Home computer? Think of a new name!
Nintendo stopped Konami's MSX productions?
Which other machines do you use?


Classic Historical century type home with virtually infinite opportunity!
The Suburbs have been HOT!
And the Medina Area has been even HOTTER... Don't miss out on this great flip opportunity.
Get in BEFORE its GONE!
That's roughly 40% off the ARV for the area!
Loads of Margin and TONS or work already done...!